Richard Heathcote/Getty Images Lalonde Gordon, Machel Cedenio, Jereem Richards, and Jarrin Solomon on the winners’ podium at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London Despite concerns about living away from his family, Cedenio made a seamless transition into the senior ranks. He was still only twenty years old when the Rio Olympics came along, so the emphasis <strong>—</strong> according to observers, at least <strong>—</strong> was on gaining experience. But Cedenio took to the competition with a zest that saw him into the 400-metre final, only to finish just out of the medals in fourth place as the winner broke the world record. With his scintillating form, he joined his relay companions in the continued search for precious metal. Then, disaster. T&T were disqualified for stepping outside their lane in their very first heat. The 2016 Olympic dream was over, representing the first real setback of Cedenio’s career. The twin aspects of family support and deep patriotism remain entrenched in his psyche and, aligned to his work ethic, make the Point Fortin man even hungrier for success. When the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee launched a campaign for ten Olympic gold medals by the year 2024 (#10Golds24), Cedenio was the first athlete to pledge his dedication to the cause. “I’m working every day to help achieve this goal for my country,” he said. Reinforcing that he’s acutely aware of what it takes to get to the top, he portrayed his viewpoint with the clichéd “You’re only as good as your last race,” before adding his own mantra: “I don’t believe in days off.” Cedenio’s composure may have its roots in his relationship with his greatest supporters, his family. He speaks regularly about the need to get back to T&T to spend time with them. “I’m close to both my parents and my three sisters,” he says. “Any time something goes bad in track and field, I go to my mom or God, and it ends up all being good.” That support was crucial when Cedenio experienced the negative side of celebrity in late 2018, as he was called in by the police for questioning over a road accident in Tobago, being cleared once the investigation was completed. He took umbrage at the media’s reporting of the incident, releasing a social media comment: “They were happy to report I walked into a police station with my lawyer for questioning etc, but they weren’t as eager to report I walked out uncharged with a clear name.” It marked the end of a troublesome year, with no medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and injury forcing him out of the CAC Games. It was time to rebound. In his own words, “If you lose, it’s not a reason to give up, it’s a reason to go forward.” Which is exactly what Cedenio has done in <strong>2019</strong>, with a slew of steady performances that culminated in a performance dubbed “the run of his life” at the World Relays In his own words, “If you lose, it’s not a reason to give up, it’s a reason to go forward.” Which is exactly what Cedenio has done in <strong>2019</strong> event in Yokohoma, Japan, this past May. The USA once again had a commanding lead, with T&T in third place as Cedenio was handed the baton on the final leg. Amazingly, he closed the seemingly impossible gap to catch his American opponent on the line by the smallest of margins. Commentators were floored: “Cedenio with a finish for the ages!” Now twenty-three years old and entering the peak years of an athlete, Cedenio faces a crucial stepping-stone <strong>—</strong> the <strong>2019</strong> IAAF World Championships in Doha <strong>—</strong> towards the one medal missing from his collection: Olympic. The Pan Am Games in Peru this past August brought a setback. Cedenio stopped before the line in the individual 400 metres, feeling the onset of cramp. In the relay, he was neck and neck with his Colombian counterpart and about to turn on those trademark afterburners when he inexplicably faded to third place. The reserved Cedenio offered no explanation, but there are bigger targets on the immediate horizon, with Doha looming. There’s enough time for Cedenio to tweak things before lining up on his favourite hunting ground at the World Championships. “Going up on the podium and hearing the national anthem, that’s when it really hit me,” Cedenio said after his two World titles. Prepare to be hit again, Machel. n 54 WWW.CARIBBEAN-BEAT.COM
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